RE: Valentine Tank [TANKS]

["jon s kowitz" <jonskowitz-at-hotmail.com>]

  Here's the bare-bones start of a tank.  I'm designing "Be Mine" so that 
all of the track and engine components will be carried by the steel frame so 
I can (hopefully) lighten up the rest of the body a bit (planning on 1/4" 
plywood, about 6mm).  The frame is sturdy enough to carry my own weight so I 
don't see a problem (yet anyway).

  I'm using a spring-loaded idler arm to automatically set and maintain 
track tension for me, hopefully it'll minimize thrown tracks and wander...  
The suspension system is likewise simple and (hopefully) robust.  The pivots 
are just nuts welded onto the pivot points which are then threaded onto a 
bolt or stud and left loose so they can still turn.  I used fine-pitch 
threads (24) where possible to minimize side-thrust through jounce and 
rebound of the suspension components.

  The wheel jig incorperates a handle at the top to keep my soft, meaty 
fingers well away from the sawblade while in operation (great galloping 
ghestapo grunts, I hurt myself often enough as it is).  Though it takes an 
extra minute to change wheel blanks for the next cut I feel the added safety 
is well worth it.

  Took probably two or three hours to make the first wheel (after turning 
out two scrap wheels before that, was having trouble drilling the hole for 
the bearings to sit in).  A lot of that was probably figuring out the best 
way to manufacture the bearing retainers (a soft metal 5/8" washer, though 
in retrospect a 3/4" one would've been a better idea).  After the first 
wheel was made I got three more turned out in the following two hours.  I 
probably would've continued working but by that fourth wheel I was suffering 
a debilitating migrane and was forced to retire for the evening.  I'm gonna 
try my darndest to get the remaining 10 roadwheels manufactured and mounted 
tomorrow.  Then I can get started on the engine/transmission assembly, and 
then the track :)

  On a totally random note, damn the universe for making Pi an irrational 
number... took forever to design a sprocket for the track (lol).  Well, off 
to bed for me, or I'll be a little more irrational tomorrow than I normally 
am...

  TTFN

Valentine_frame1.jpg

Valentine_suspension1.jpg

Valentine_tensioner.jpg

Wheel_Jig.jpg

Valentine_1stwheel.jpg

Valentine_4wheels.jpg